The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-10-08
CULTURES GARLAND.
Chicago News.

(Ticknor < Co.,, Boston), a collection of Mir. Fields random es- says, criticisms and poems, such as long have been appearing in this journal in delightful profusion, is as unique as it is entertaining. Proba- bly, no newspaper articles were ever more widely copied than are those published i'll the Ddily NewS from the pen of Mr. Field. The versatility and originality of humor which they all display have given them lasting place in the literature of the time. Their modest author wrote them ex- pecting that they would be forgotten presently, but the public has refused to forget them. The result is that a clever publisher has made book of them, and charming book it is. Praise of it by "triendly hand" as avowedly is that of the present writer, need not by any one else be deemed upmerited Such eminent critics as R. II. Stoddard, E. c. Sted- man, Julian Hawthorne and G. F. Lathrop have expressed unqualified admiration of MT. Fields work. In writing of "Culture's Garland" MT. Stoddard says: "He can be funny when he chooses, but it must be in his own serious and whimsical way, concealing his satiric purpose behind mask of gravity and overwhelming pretension by making it more pre- tentious than it dares to be. He is a satirist in the sense that Thackeray was in the 'Yellowplush Papers, but so acute and SO truthful that the character of what he satirizes is readily seen through the caricature. One of the strongest points in his writing is it's portentous assumption of earnestness, its comprehensive com mon sense, it's pedantic and prolonged profundity." MT. Hawthorne says "He is sometimes as homely and pithy as New England farmer; sometimes as refined and subtle as French epi- grammatist; now he chuckles like a Gargantuan, and again he evinces the artistic grace of trained poet or TO- mancer. But above all and beneath all he is man full of the strength and richness of human nature, and loving human nature with all his heart"
 MT. Lathrop calls him '.jester of the genuine type, full of native wit and humor, who goes at the matter in hand with freshness and nerve, and throws a charming light of veracity and subtle suggestion upon even the least effort of his drollery. The only trace of pretense in Eugene Field," says MT. Lathrop, "is pretense of cynicism. For he is not cynic, but rather a man determined to grind cyn- icism and everything else that is sham into pulp, out of which something useful can be made."
 MT. Field is writer of infinite jest, who is neither conceited nor shallow. A scholar who comes of a family of scholars, there is a grace and finish about his nasty work which cause much of it to compare favora- bly, with the careful productions of standard essayists. None can relate a story better than he, and satire cast forth from his hand goes straight to its mark. There is almost no limit to the range of his humor. All coun- tries and all ages are subject to his levy. He is merciless iconoclast. "The Truth About Dante" and "The Story of Xantippe" have reason on their side, in spite of their humorous purpose. In the same way the mantle of greatness which has been thrown about various modern writers has not saved them from his pointed remind CTS that their position depends largely on the goodwill of ordinary men.
 "The stnrdiest peak is fame's,
 And there be many on it's very height
 Who strut in pride and vaunt their empty While those poor human asses who delight To place them there have unremembered names"
 Only few of MT. Fields poems appear in the present collection, and these few differ widely in merit. Sev- eral of them are mere "nonsense verses" while two or three are among the best he has written. As poet ol as a writer of serious prose, his book contains little by which he may be measured. When the time comes for
 presenting to the world his more pre-
 tentious work the real vigor of the man may surprise the reader of these
 trifles of the passing hour. As seen
 in most of his printed pages, he is abroad hunting for shams. Sometimes
 his purpose rules him, but mainly he
 is like a boy with pair of drum
 sticks-he beats merrily on anything
 which is hollow, exposing its empti-
 ness by its own noise.
 A considerable portion of the vol
 tune relates to Chicago people and
 their amiable weaknesses, real or iin-
 agined. A commercial city, though
 rich, liberal and enterprising, must
 take its art, its music and its poetry
 largelyso trust. We'll meaning mil.
 lionaires who have spent their lives 1T
 building up & prosperous businesi | A. e. Y |